Deadly New Zealand quake hopscotched across faults

The 2016 quake jumped farther than thought possible

SHAKE UP A magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit New Zealand last year altered the landscape. The temblor jumped between two faults thought to be too far apart for a quake to cross, new research shows.

Julian Thomson

A seemingly impossible earthquake that rattled New Zealand last November casts doubt on how well seismologists can forecast quakes involving multiple fault lines.

Retracing the path of the magnitude 7.8 temblor using satellite and seismic data, researchers discovered that the earthquake involved at least 12 major faults and was far more widespread and powerful than predicted by seismic hazard assessments at the time. Such assessments are crucial to designing buildings that can withstand potential earthquakes.